Portable vacuum cleaner



Jan. 9, 1951 c. A. FROST PORTABLE VACUUM CLEANER '2 Sheets-Sheet l FiledApril 9, 1948 INVENTOR. #(ZEME/VTJ A FPOJ'T 4 BY I Jan. 9, 1951. c. A.FROST 2,537,523

' PORTABLE VACUUM CLEANER Filed April 9, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PatentedJan. 9, 1951 UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims. (Cl. 183-36) Thisinvention relates to portable vacuum cleaner, and more particularly to arug cleaning apparatus of the vacuum type wherein the rug is subjectedto a beating action while it is being cleaned.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedcommercial rug cleaning apparatus of the vacuum type which is verysimple in constructions, easy to operate and which is readily emptiedwhen a rug cleaning operation is completed.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved commercialrug cleaning machine which removes dirt from rugs by vacuum action, therug being beaten during the suction of dirt therefrom so that dirtparticles adhering to the rug are shaken free, the machine beingrelatively compact in size, light in weight and rugged in construction.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description and claims, and from the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal cross-sectional viewtaken through a rug cleaning machine constructed in accordance with thepresent invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view with parts in cross-section, ofthe rug cleaning machine of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the rug cleaning machine ofFigure 1.

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical cross-sectional view taken on line 44of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view taken through thesuction rotor of the apparatus of Figure 1 on the line 55 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail view taken through therug beating rotor of the apparatus on the line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, H designates a housing of sheet metal or thelike provided with a detachable bottom pan 12, said pan being providedwith wheels 13. The housing H is detachably secured to the pan I2 bymeans of draw bolts Id at the upper marginal portions of the sides ofthe pan which engage suitable lugs carried by the bottom margins of theside walls of the housing. The housing H is formed to define a hollowforward intake section or extension l5, positioned forwardly of the panl2, and forming an intake chamber. The housin ll further comprises anintermediate passage l6 and an enlarged rear compartment ll, overlyingthe pan l2 and constituting a receiving 22 by a belt 25.

to each other.

chamber. Secured to the rear compartment I! of housing H is a porousflexible bag [8. Designated at E9 is a U-shaped handle bar Whose armsare secured to the sides of housing H.

' The end of bag I8 is connected to the intermediate portion of handlebar i9 by a strap member 29.

Journalled transversely in the rear compartment 1? is a shaft 2iprovided with an external pulley 22. Mounted on housing I! forwardly ofcompartment i1 is an electric motor 23. One end of the motor shaft isprovided with a relatively large pulley 24 whichis coupled to pulley Theother end of the motor shaft is provided with a relatively small pulley26. Journalled transversely in the intake section i5 is a shaft 21having an external pulley 28. Pulley 28 is coupled to pulley 26 by abelt 29.

Secured to shaft 21 by arcuate clamping plates Eli and by bolts 31passing through said clamping plates and threaded into shaft 21 areopposed flexible rotor vanes 32, 32 extending substantially the entiretransverse width of intake section l5 and provided at their free endswith spaced metal ferrule elements 33. The vanes 32 are radially slottedat 34 to increase the flexibility of the end portions of the vaneswhereby said vanes comprise axially spaced radial fingers which areindependently yieldable with respect The bottom of intake section I5 issubstantially open and is provided with a grid structure 35 to limitupward entry of a rug area into said intake section responsive tosuetion. The ends of the radial fingers sweep through the apertures ofsaid grid structure. As

shown in Figure 1, when a rug area is deflected upwardly against thegrid 35 by suction the flexible fingers of the beater vanes 32 mayrepeatedly strike said rug area and produce a beating action thereon.

Transversely secured to the sidewalls of housis to deflect dirt-ladenair downwardly and to cause the heavier dirt particles carried by theair current to be deposited in the pan l2 as said air current travelsrearwardly in passage 16.

The baffle plate 35 forms a reduced passage between the forward intakechamber and the pan 2-, Figure 1.

Compartment '3! is provided with an intermediate vertical longitudinalpartition wall 31 formed with an aperture 38 concentric with shaft 2|.Designated at 38 is a bottom partition wall 3 provided in compartment I!which defines with vertical wall 31 a blower or fan chamber 39. The rearend of blower chamber 39 communicates with bag 18 through an outletopening 40 formed in the rear wall of housing ll. Said rear wall isformed with a transverse lower opening 4! and provided in the housingadjacent opening M is a transverse depending wall 42, defining with thesides of the housing a second reduced passage leading from the bag 18into the top of the pan l2 at the rear end of the pan. Rotatably mountedon a transverse axis in the lower rear portion of housing II is a valveplate 43 which normally closes ofi" bag IS with respect w to pan l2.W'hen valve plate 43 is rotated to an open position, as shown in dottedviewin Figure 1, dirt in bag I8 may be emptied into pan [2. The shaft ofvalve plate 43 is provided with an external operating lever 44. Valveplate 43 is normally held closed by gravity, but may be rotated to openposition by means of lever 44'. Secured to shaft 2! in compartment 39 isa vertical disc 45 carrying a plurality of horizontal pins 46 arrangedon a circle concentric with shaft 2! and extending adjacent the verticalpartition Wall 31. Pivotally carried on each pin 46 is a flexible flapmember 4?. When disc 45 rotates, fiap members 01 are held outwardly bycentrifugal force and provide blower action in chamber 33. This producesan air stream which enters the machine at the bottom of intake section15, passes through passage l6 into compartment ll, enters fan chamber 39through opening 38 and passes into bag !8 through outlet opening 40.

The suction at the bottom of intake section l5 elevates the rug areainto engagement with grid 35 and allows beater vanes 32 to strike therug area, as above described loosening the dirt particles carried by therug. The air stream carries the dirt and dust from the rug intoengagement with baflie plate 36., whereby most of the dirt is depositedin pan R2. The air stream carries the remaining dirt particles throughblower chamber 39 into bag 58 where the dirt particles are trapped bythe filtering action of said bag.

After a cleaning operation, the dirt in bag l8 may be emptied into panI2 by opening flap valve 43. Pan l2 may then be detached from housing Hand the dirt carried therein may be emptied into a suitable disposalreceptacle.

The rotation of the beater vanes 32 takes place at a much slower ratethan that of blower shaft 2! in view of the much smaller size ofcovering the outlet opening of the fan chamber and the outer opening ofthe second reduced pas-v sage, a rotary fan within the fan chamber, and

pulley 28 as compared with pulley 24 and the relatively large size ofpulley 28 as compared with pulley 22.

While a specific embodiment of a rug cleaning apparatus has beendisclosed in the foregoing descr ption, it will be understood thatvarious modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur tothose skilled in the art. Therefore it is intended that no limitationsbe placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a vaonum cleaner, a housing including a forward intake chamber anda rearreceiving chamber. the intake chamber having an opening in itsbottom and the receiving chamber having its bottom formed open, a panremovably mounted upon the receiving chamber to cover its open bottom,means within the housing for forming a first reduced passage between theintake chamber and the forward end of the re ceiving chamber, the firstreduced passage leading downwardly into the pan, means within thehousing and forming a fan chamber in the receiving chamber, said fanchamber having an intake opening in its end and an outlet opening in itsside near its top, means arranged within the receiving chamber andforming a second reduced passage near and beneath the fan chamber andleading into the upper end of the pan, the second reduced passage havingan outer opening, a valve to cover and uncover the second reducedpassage, a bag attached to the housing and covering the outlet openingof the fan chamher and the outer opening of the second reduced passage,a rotary fan within the fan chamber, and means to drive the fan.

2. In a vacuum cleaner, a housing including a forward intake chamber anda rear receiving chamber, the intake chamber having an opening in itsbottom and the receiving chamber having its bottom formed open, anelongated substantially horizontal pan removably mounted beneath thereceiving chamber for covering its open bottom, a transverse dependingbaflie plate mounted within the housing and forming with the sides ofthe housing a first reduced passage between the intake chamber and theforward end of the pan, wall means within the housing for forming a fanchamber in the receiving chamber, the fan chamber having an intakeopening in its end and an outlet opening in its side near its top, agenerally vertical wall arranged within the receiving chamber adjacentto the rear side of the fan chamber and forming a second reduced passagenear and beneath the fan chamber and leading into the upper end of thepan at the rearv end of the pan, the second reduced passage having anouter opening adjacent to the rear end of the pan, a normallysubstantially horizontal plate valve mounted within the second reducedpassage for opening and closing such passage, a bag attached to the rearend of the casing and means to drive the fan.

CLEMENTS A. FROST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 974,304 Spangler Nov. 1, 19101,412,420 Polansky Apr. 11, 1922 1,422,100 Hoff July 11, 1922 1,577,070Orr Mar. 16, 1926 1,742,671 Squires Jan. 7, 1930 1,949,052 Kirby Feb.27, 1934. 1,965,614 Sellers July 10, 1934 2,067,434 Charipar Jan. 12,1937 2,165,678 Riebel July 11, 1939 2,291,770 Smellie Aug. 4, 1942FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 517,065 Germany Jan. 30, 1931

